late 14c., "a feather" (especially a large and conspicuous one), from Old French plume "soft feather, down; feather bed," and directly from Latin pluma "a feather, down; the first beard," from PIE root *pleus- "to pluck; a feather, fleece" (cf. Old English fleos "fleece"). Meaning "a long streamer of smoke, etc." is first attested 1878.

v.

late 14c., "to pluck, strip," from plume (n.). From mid-15c. as "to adorn with plumes." Meaning "to dress the feathers" is from 1702. Related: Plumed; pluming.

plume

[plōōm]

A feather, especially a large one.

A body of magma that rises from the Earth's mantle into the crust.♦ If a plume rises to the Earth's surface, it erupts as lava. ♦ If it remains below the Earth's surface, it eventually solidifies into a body of rock known as a pluton.

An area in air, water, soil, or rock containing pollutants released from a single source. A plume often spreads in the environment due to the action of wind, currents, or gravity.